Rotary engine



2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

(No Model.)

E. E. THOMAS.

ROTARY ENGINE.

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2 Sheets-Sheet 2.

(No Model.)

E. E. THOMAS.

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UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ICINVI Il. THOMAS, OF MINNEAPOLIS, BUNNSOTA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 387,606, dated August '7, 1888.

Application tiled Jul)` 1S, 1F97.

To all whom, it may (concern.-

le it known that l, lowis F. Tuonts, of Minneapolis, in the county of llennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Rotary Engines, of which the following is a spmfitication.

My invention relates to certain improve4 ments in the class of rotary engines and the construction thereof for which I havealready made application for Letters llatent of the United States; and the object ll have in view is to simplify this construction and make a machine which will be mort= effective in its op eration.

To this end my invention consists, generally, in the construction and arrangement of parts hereinafter deseribed,and particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings which form a part of this specifit'fation, Figure l is a vertical section of my improved rotary engine, taken through the cylinder, showing the piston in full. Fig. 2 is an end elevation looking in the direction of the arrow in Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is a vertical crosssection on line .fr of Fig. 1. Fig. t is a detail section on line y 1/ of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a detail of one of the pistons.

2 represents the bedvplatc of the machine, which supports the cylinder 3. This cylinder is divided transversely by a suitable partition, making two compartments in the said cylinder, each of which is covered by a head, 4. rlhese heads are carefully bored and fitted to receive a central shaft, o, which passes ccu trally through the two compartments in the cylinder-,and is provided with suitable stuffingboxes in each head to prevent the escape of steam. 'l`he shall (l extends beyond the cylinder on either side, and is supported in suitable bearings in the frame 2. l'his shaft is also provided with a driving-pulley, 7, for transmitting power from the machine. A piston, S, is placed in each of the compartments ofthe cylinder, and is preferably secured to the driving-shaft by splines or feathers to allow its being readily removed from the cylinder. The pistons 8 are mounted ef-.ccntrieally upon the shaft and diamctrically opposite to each other, the full side of each bearingagainstthe inner wall of its cylinder or compartment, and provided at this point with a suitable, device,

Serial No. 914,147, (No model.)

as hereinafter described, by which the pistou is set out and the full side always keptin contact with the cylinder in order to take up the wear and prevent leakage around the pistons. 'lhe pistons are also provided with a packingring, 12, held against the head and partition by suitable springs, to form a steam-tight joint between the piston and the cylinder.

I prefer to construct a shallow recess, 1t, in the two ends ofthe pistons, extending from the center outward nearly to the packing-rings. An opening, l5, is drilled or bored through the piston, connecting the two recesses. The object of this is to equalize any pressure which may be brought against the pistou within the circle protected by the packing-rings, which might occur from leakage ot' steam around the ring upon one side more than on the other. This might cause a pressure against the piston on this side and force it against the opposite wall ofthe cylinder and cause und lle friction. ,Hy forming the recesses, as above described, and connecting the two by means of the opening, any pressure of steam admitted upon one side will be transferred upon the ends to the other, and thus the pressure upon the ends of the piston will be cqualized and the friction obviated.

16 represents abutments pivoted upon the frame2andextcndinginto the cylinderthrough stuffing-boxes 1S. These abutments are provided with ports 20 for the inlet and exhaust of the steam. I prefer to provide the lower eX- tremity of the abutment with a packing-piece, 22, to make a steam-joint between it and the piston. This packing-piece is formed as shown in Fig. 1. rlheinneror lower surface conforms to the circumference of the piston against which it bears. The opposite side is made convex and tits into the corresponding concave end of the abutment. As the eccentric-piston revolves, the packing will oscillatc in the concave end ofthe abutment, and will accommodate itself to the surface ofthe piston at all times, causing the whole lower surface to bear upon the piston. An oilway, lf), may be located in the abutment, for lubricating this portion of the machine.

2st is an etpializing-lever supported upon a rod or bar, 25, and located at some convenient point between the two abutments 16.

The bar 25 is preferably attached to the body of the cylinder, and passes through the equalizing-lever and through a washer, 26. 'lhe rod is preferably serew-lhreadt'al at its upper bearing upon the washer to and adjust the abutments. ber washer, nut 29 and washer 26, to make a cushion. I prefer to construct the washer 2G with a rib, 30, upon its lower surface, which bears in a corresponding groove or recess in the equalizing-lever and allows the lever to oseillate over the rib as a l`ulerum.

I prefer to provide the outer ends olt the equalizinglever with theball-and soeketjoints 232. Ialsoprefertoplaecotherballandrsocltet joints, 34, upon the abutments, or upon the lever with the pivot upon which it swings.

36 are eonneetingfrods which join the two ball-and-soeket joints. one abutment eonneeted with oneend ot the equalizingdever and the other abutment is connected with the opposite end ot' the said lever. Consequently as one rises the other illust be depressed, and as the eccentric-pistons are oppositely placed upon the shalt one abutment will be raised and the other depressed in exactly equal ratio, so that by the .introduction of the beam, tulcrumed eouidistant between the two, as one abutment is raised the other will be forced down by the action of.

the equalizinglever, and the end ol' the abutA ment always kept in the same relation with the pistons, and a steam-tight joint maintained between the abutment and thel piston without the use ot' springs or similar devices.

The interior surfaces ol' the eylinderrluads are preferably recessed. A disk or plate, ftd, is fitted within the recess and bears against thepackingringsupouthepiston. 'l`hepressure between the plate and the paelting'rrings may be regulated by the setserews-ll and l The setserews 4l are tapped through the head and bear against the plate, and the selfserews 12 are tapped through the plate or disk and bear against the head, and by the use ol` both any required adjustment of the plate ma;v be obtained and any wear on the rings may be compensated for.

I prefer to provide a means for adjusting the pistons in the cylinders at right angles to preferably l which connects the abutment I,

lt will be seen that the shalt and in the direction ot the center or throw of the eccentric for the purpose of setting the piston out, so that the full side will bear against the interior ofthe cylinder with sut'leient torce to prevent leakage ot' steam, but not sulticient to create an undue amount; ol' l'rietiou. '.l`o this end I construct a rectangular block, 14, through which the shaft is titled and secured by splines 43. This block l is inserted in a rectangular opening in the piston,whieh lits closely to the sides of thebloek; but the piston is allowed to slide upon the block l'or a certain distance in the direction ot' the lull side ot' the said eccentric-piston. lhis movement islimited by iusertingwedgej'iieces 45 between the end ot the block and the wall of the openine. ily driving the wedges the piston is thrown out toward the wall ot' the c vliuder and the wear taken up.

l claim as my inventionM l. In a rotary engine, thecombination,with theoppositely placed eccentric pistonsand the radia l ly-slidingg abut ments provided with arms by which they are pivoted to the frame or bedplate ol the machine, olthe equalizing-lever i'ulcrunied at a point eduidistant between the said arms, and means l'or connecting the oppol site ends ofthe said lever with the arms on the said abutment, substantially as describet'l.

2. ln a rotary engine, and in combination with the eeeentrie pistons S and the radiallysliding aiutments ,lo of the eqli;iliziii qle\'er 2l, attaehedto thesaid abutments,the ulcrumbar 25, provided with the washer 26, and means l`or adjusting1 said washer upon said rod, substantially as described.

I). Yln a rotary engine, the combination,with the cylinder. of the eceentric-pistons, thepaeking-rings in the ends of the said pistons, and the recesses l l within the inner circumference ot' the paekinga'ing, and the openingr l5, connecting the recesses, in the manner and torthe purpose, substantially as described.

4. In a rotary engine, and in combination with the shalt 3 and the eeeentriepistou S, theI rectangular blot-k l l, held upon said shaft and upon which the said piston slides, and means for adjust irrt;v the said block in said recess, substantially as dest'fribed.

ICIHVIY li). '.lll( )MAS- \\fi|nesses:

lt. ll. SANifijinn, S. J. luiiansruc.

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